Is She Just a Memory?
by Misao-san
Summary: A story of the mysterious past of Spike, Julia and Vicious. Mild Language. Starts as VxJ, but then changes...


Is She Just a Memory?  
By: Misao-san  
Disclaimer: I don't own Bebop. I'm just a pennyless, obsessed anime fan.  
Note: the dashes indicate flashbacks and such.  
  
  
Spike sighed as he watched Edward play on her computer. Ed giggled insanely, then pressed a few keys with her feet. Ever since she had read "Codename Julia" from some unknown transmission, and then not finding a trace of the mysterious woman, Spike's hopes of Julia being alive dwindled.  
Lighting up a cigarette, he reached in his pocket and took out a photograph. It was old, and the edges were tattered. He stared at the pictures, his eyes wantig to fill with tears. With his eyes fixed on the photo, he refused to cry. It wasn't a manly thing to do.  
He took a long drag on his cigarette, then headed to his small and favorite starship, the Swordfish II. Taking another drag on his cigarette, his thoughts began to drift into the past.  
---  
It had only been five years. Five years since he met the most beautiful woman in the world. She was playing billiards, while politely chatting with her opponents. She was dressed in amazingly tight black leather, and her long, wavy blonde hair cascaded down her shoulder.  
As Spike walked into the bar and saw her leaning over the table to take the next shot, he was enthralled. He was soon taken out of his stupor when a man stood next to her and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. He recognized that man. It was Vicious. Briefly wondering how long he had been in his blank state-of-mind, he sighed and walked over to the bar.  
"What'll it be, Spike my boy?" The bartender, named Mack, said while cleaning glasses.  
"The usual," Spike replied, sneaking a few peeks at the mysterious woman; he couldn't help himself, "Hey, Mack, who's that woman?"  
"That blonde? I think her name's Julia. Don't go chasin' after 'er though, she's taken by that silent guy over 'ere." the bartender set down a dried glass, and pointed to Vicious. Sliding a small shot glass filled with some foul smelling liquid over to Spike, he continued to speak. "Last time someone tried to make a move on 'er, the guy wound up without a head." Shuddering at the thought, he proceeded continuing the never-ending chore of cleaning glasses, "Good thing women aren't really a Mack thing."  
"Err... yeah," Spike replied, then downed the shot in one gulp. Watching the woman at the billiards table made him forget how much the strong alchohol burnt while traveling down his throat.  
"Ey, Spike, you're going red. Is it because of the girl or the drink? Maybe both?" Mack snickered, and then Spike realized how much his throat felt like it was on fire.  
"AAH! WATER, DAMMIT!" His eyes went wide as he grabbed a glass of water from Mack, and chugged it. When he finished it, he set the glass on the bar and panted like he just ran a marathon, "Jake, remind me never get one of those whatever the hell they're called again. Ever."  
"If you wouldn't drink it all in one shot, your throat wouldn't be on fire," a feminine voice said. Vaguely, Spike wondered how long the owner of that voice had been there, "I'll have a water, Mack."  
While Mack went to go get some more ice, Spike shifted his gaze to the side. There, sitting right next to him, was the woman he had seen playing billiards not even five minutes ago, "Er... uh... hello..." Spike's face went red again, and he had no clue that he was stuttering. Julia just smiled, and looked into Spike's eyes. Feeling like her eyes were peircing into his soul, he tried to speak.  
"Your eyes are different colors," Julia pointed out.  
"My left eye sees the past." Spike managed to say, this time without stuttering.  
Smiling, Julia went on to say something. As she opened her mouth, a man put his hand on her shoulder.  
"Let's go, love," the man whispered into her ear. It was Vicious.  
"It was nice meeting you. Oh, by the way, I'm Julia." She smiled, and offered her hand for Spike to shake.  
"Julia, can't you see that he's drunk? Let's go now." Vicious said while taking Julia's outstretched hand, and led her out of the bar. Spike just watched them leave, awestruck that such a beautiful woman would give herself to a cold-hearted man like Vicious.  
"Eh, Spike, women aren't worth the trouble," Mack mutered after he was sure Spike came out of his trance-like state. Continuing, he picked up Spike's dirty shot glass and began to wash it, "Especially not that one. And you ahven't payed me for that drink yet."  
Spike grumbled, and pulled out a few woolongs from his pocket. Mack snatched them from Spike's hand, and then put them in the cash register, "I'm calling it a night, Mack." Yawning, he got up.  
"Seeya later, Spiegel." Mack replied, putting the towel he had been drying glasses with onto his shoulder. Spike walked out of the bar, with his thoughts revolving around the blonde woman named Julia that he had met in the bar.  
---  
"Spike person! Your finger's on fire!" Ed squealed, then stood on her hands and flailed her legs around.  
"AGH!" Spike yelled, and cursed under his breath as he quickly put out the cigarette that had started to burn his fingers. He had been in too much of a daze to realize what was going around him, and that Ed had been following him. Briefly pausing from cursing, he lit another cigarette and began to wonder if the woman named Julia was only a bittersweet memory.  
  
  
=-=Part 2=-=  
  
Vicious lay awake, on his back, staring at the cieling. He glanced at the clock out of the corner of hsi eye. 2:37 AM was what it read.  
"Hmph," He mutered to himself. When he turned to the side, he couldn't help but smile slightly to himself at the sight of Julia sleeping soundly next to him. There was only one thing that could thaw his cold heart, and that was Julia. Nobody would take her away, not even his best friend.  
----  
Spiked stared at his reflection in the mirror of his shabby apartment building. Splashing cold water on his face, he wondered what had happened the night before. One word rang like bells in a cathedral in his mind. Julia. That was the only thing he could think of.  
Her long, blonde hair, her smile, and her deep blue eyes formed a picture in Spike's mind. One that he couldn't forget. Before the picture in his mind could reach out and touch him, he was knocked out of his daydreams by someone calling for him at the door.  
"Ugh, coming..." He moaned loudly, hoping that whoever was at the door would get the hint that he had a hangover. Spike new that his pathetic excuse had failed when he heard a louder knock ont he door, and a shout.  
"Persistent little..." He paused, searching for the right word, "Screw it" he said to himself, then headed for the door. He didn't care much that he was in his pajamas, his hair was a mess or that he had dark circles under his eyes. Surely whoever was at the door would have just a little sympathy for him. Just a little.  
Taking a deep breath, Spike opened the door, "Oh... Vicious. It's you." He tried to sound surprised, but it didnt' quite work out.  
"Who were you thinking? One of those cheap whores?" Vicious sarcastically remarked. Spike fought the urge to walk away, "I've come here to have a little talk with you, Spiegel."  
"For what? Landlord going to kick me out of my apartment again?" Spike chuckled.  
"No, it's much more deep than that. I'll make it short and understandable for someone as dense as you. Stay away from Julia." Vicious growled.  
"What? You mean... VICIOUS! DAMMIT!" Spiked tried to think up a lie for what happened that night, "She was the one that came to me!"  
"I'm not going to believe a load of shit like that."  
"But I'm NOT lying! Why would I lie? I can hardly remember what happened last night!" Spike protested, but he feared that he was just backing himself into a corner with words. Vicious had better leave, and soon for that matter.  
"Just stay away from her. Don't think about her. Don't speak her name." Vicious rammed Spike against the wall, causing a cheap painting of a tree to fall off the crumbling wall. Swiftly, he took out his katana and held it up to Spike's throat, "I hope you can see that I'm dead serious about this, Spiegel."  
"Vicious! What are you doing?!" Spike tried not to move his head too much. He didn't want to be decapitated. At least without not giving a fight. It would be a rather pathetic way to die.  
"Stay away from Julia," Vicious growled, "Is that clear?"  
"Y-Yeah..." Spike lied as Vicious put his katana in the sheath, and glared at him. Without another word, Vicious left, not even bothering to close the door.  
Spiked tried to figure out what had happened. It all happened so quick, and the slowing effects of alchohol on his brain wasn't helping either. Still, the only word that rang in his mind was Julia.  
"I have to see her, no matter what it takes!"  
----  
Vicious watched the feminine figure that was laying to his right. Was Spike really devising a plan to take Julia way from him? Or was it all in his head? Vicious didn't know, but he didn't care. He knew one thing for sure, though. Nobody would get Julia. Julia was for him, and nobody else. Nobody.  
The mass of wavy golden hair stirred, and a delicate hand reached to rub the sleep out of a pair of drowsy eyes. She blinked few times, trying to get used to seeing in the dim light.  
"What time is it?" She murmured, brusing some hair from her face.  
"Not time to get up yet. go back to sleep, love," Vicious whispered, running his hand up her arm.  
"Yes..." Julia turned on her side, with her back to vicious. She tried her best to go back to sleep, but there wa sa single thought lingering in her mind: The green haired man with the the diffrent colored eyes. Spike. Why was she thinking of him? Was she in love? 


End file.
